Chocolate Irish Cream Truffles

I know very little about Irish cooking. As far as I can tell, I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in me. I’ve never been to Ireland. I have been to a few Irish pubs and eateries, and while I do love me a good boxty (my love for potatoes is no secret), my most memorable Irish restaurant experience was an unfortunate incident in which I eagerly dug into a scoop of Guinness ice cream, thinking it was chocolate or mocha, and…sadface. This is probably not the best time of year to admit it, but I’m not a big fan of Guinness (or stouts in general).

I am, however, quite fond of Baileys Irish cream! And so, after my St. Patrick’s day no-show last year, I once again turned to Baileys this year. These chocolate Irish cream truffles are based on the ubiquitous Oreo and cream cheese truffle recipes you may have seen floating around on the web, but instead of using cream cheese, I melted some chocolate and whisked Baileys into it.

Since truffle filling is much easier to work with when it’s cold, I popped the mixture of cookies, melted chocolate, and Baileys into the fridge. I shouldn’t have been surprised when it came out twenty minutes later as a hardened, crumbly mass (after all, if you melt chocolate chips, they will eventually revert into a solid state…duh), but I was still a bit put off. Luckily, it was nothing that the mixer and another swig of Baileys couldn’t fix, and the end result was every bit as scrumptious as I’d hoped!

These chocolate Irish cream truffles are little bites of velvety, chocolatey bliss. The semi-sweet chocolate chips and the smooth, mellow flavor of Baileys balance out the sweetness of the cookies, making it difficult to stop after just one. In fact, these truffles are so dangerously delicious that I asked our neighbors to take some of them off our hands – unsurprisingly, they obliged! Thanks to the chocolate coating, truffles like these stay fresh for quite a while in the fridge, so the choice is yours: you can share them with friends, family, or colleagues, or keep them at home to savor for weeks!

Do you have any plans for St. Patrick’s Day? What is your favorite Irish dish (or drink)?

Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler. You can also do this in the microwave, but be careful not to burn the chocolate! Add 1/4 cup Baileys and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the chocolate sandwich cookies into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs into the bowl of a mixer. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, or until cool to the touch. The mixture will be somewhat hard and crumbly at this stage.

Add 2 more tablespoons of Baileys to the mixture and mix until combined. Add up to 2 more tablespoons if necessary – the goal is to add enough liquid so that the filling takes on the consistency of thick cookie dough.

Roll the filling into balls (about 1 inch in diameter), wetting your hands slightly to prevent the filling from sticking. Place the balls on a baking sheet and freeze until hard to the touch, about 20-30 minutes.

Coating

While the truffle filling balls are in the freezer, melt remaining 2 cups chocolate chips (mixed with 1 teaspoon oil). I recommend doing this not in the microwave, but by simmering water in a saucepan and placing a heat-proof glass bowl on top. This way, the chocolate will be heated continuously and stay melted as you coat the truffles; if the chocolate is removed from the heat, it will gradually cool and make things much messier and more difficult.

To coat the truffles, drop each ball individually into the melted chocolate and spoon chocolate over the top (don’t swirl the truffle around – this may cause bits of filling to break off into the chocolate!). Pick up with a fork and gently tap your fingers against the hand holding the fork to shake off excess chocolate. Use a toothpick or cake-tester to slide the truffle onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Top with sprinkles (if desired).

Once all the truffles are coated, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

I've also made these truffles with mint chocolate sandwich cookies. The flavor of the mint somewhat overpowered that of the Irish cream, but regardless, the truffles were very tasty! I haven't had a chance to try the recipe using mint chocolate Baileys, but I imagine the results would be delicious as well.

I typically keep truffles in airtight containers in the fridge. I don't see any reason why these couldn't be stored at room temperature (and I do prefer to serve them that way), but I'm a creature of habit.

Another swig or two of Bailey’s fixes all sorts of problems, Mara! Haha. Seriously though, these truffles look incredible. And I think everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! If you walk around all day with a tray of these truffles, then I’m pretty sure no one will question your Irish roots. 🙂

Well, if you lived next door to me, you’d also have to listen to Phoebe bark at every mail, delivery, and maintenance person who comes within a 25 foot radius of the building…so it’s a toss-up. I do wish there were a food download option!

I love truffles, and Irish Cream! I usually mix together Irish Cream creamer and some sort of chocolate creamer in my coffee, so I know that this is a winning pair! Yum! Thanks for linking up with us at The Wednesday Showcase!

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Hi there! I'm Mara, a semi-vegetarian home cook with a serious sweet tooth and a penchant for flavorful yet unfussy recipes. Originally from California, I'm currently living in Michigan for grad school. Read more...